Machines for spinning granular sugar into sugar filaments or so-called cotton candy are known and have been employed for some time to produce cotton candy. A typical cotton candy machine has a base which houses a motor which drives a rotatable shaft to which a spinner head is mounted. Bearings rotatably support the rotating shaft within the motor. Granular sugar is introduced into the spinner head which includes heating elements and the like for melting the granular sugar. The rotation of the spinner head causes the melted granular sugar to be spun or slung out of holes or slots in the spinner head and onto the inner surface of a bowl or basket mounted to the base of the cotton candy machine. The sugar filaments adhered to the basket may then be transferred to a paper tube or the like by rolling one end of the tube about the circumference of the basket to collect the cotton candy on the tube end.
A problem associated with cotton candy machines and one which limits the life of the motors and hence the machines is that sugar finds its way down into the bearings supporting the rotating shaft. As is appreciated, the introduction of sugar into these bearings results in premature bearing failure requiring that the cotton candy machine motor be replaced.
More particularly, when the machine is disassembled for routine maintenance, and particularly when the spinner head is removed, sugar works its way downwardly into the motor and into the motor shaft bearings. Further, sugar blown into the bowl or basket tends to find its way into the motor bearings as well. Still further, cotton candy tends to wrap around the spinner head and is pulled downwardly into the motor and hence bearings. Prior efforts directed towards blocking sugar from the motor bearings have not met with great success, and bearing failure is a continuing durability problem.